Henry County
Schools
Georgia Special Needs Scholarship
The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship, is available for the 2025-2026 School Year, pursuant to O.C.G.A. § referred to as Senate Bill 10 (SB10). Under the State law passed by the Georgia State Legislature in 2007, parents of eligible special education students may choose to transfer their child to another public school or private school in Georgia. As the parent of a student who receives special education in our school system, you are receiving this letter to inform you of your possible options to exercise public and private school choice.
Public School Choice Options
There are three public school choice options available to you, with different requirements, if you choose to select a different school other than the one your child is currently anticipated to attend for next school year, SY 2025-2026: (a) transfer within Henry County School District, (b) transfer outside of Henry County School District, or (c) transfer to a State Board of Education School.
a. A parent may request a transfer to another public school within their school system as long as there is available space at that school and the school has a program with the services agreed to in the student's existing individualized education program and the student meets the eligibility requirements (Grades 1-12). If the parent chooses this option, then the parent shall be responsible for transportation to the school for the eligible student.
- A parent may request the eligible student transfer to a school in another school system, if there is available space in the system and the school has a program with the services agreed to in the eligible student's existing Individualized Education Program (IEP). However, the other school system must first agree to accept the eligible student. If the parent chooses this option and the school system accepts the child, then the parent shall be responsible for transportation to a school in that system.
- A parent may also request a transfer to one of the State schools for the deaf and/or blind operated by the State Board of Education. Acceptance into a State school will depend on if that setting is appropriate for the students that qualify based on their needs. If the parent chooses this option, then the parent shall be responsible for transportation to the State school. Please visit the Georgia Department of Education's website for more information about transferring to a State School.
Request form
In alignment with Henry County Board of Education Policy JBCCA and Regulation JBBCA-R(1), the window for exercising one of the above public school options for the 2025-2026 school year is between January 13, 2025 and January 31, 2025. The request form can be found here: https://bit.ly/HCS2526SchoolChoice.
Requests must be submitted by January 31, 2025 at 4:00 pm for consideration.
Private School Option
If you are interested in transferring your child to a private school in Georgia, you may be able to take advantage of a Georgia Special Needs Scholarship. These scholarships provide funding that can be used to offset tuition costs at participating private schools in the State of Georgia. Note: tuition costs for these private school options would be the responsibility for the enrolling child’s family. Additional information may be found at the Georgia Department of Education's website.
Application Window
The application window will be announced yearly in December and January and will reflect the School Choice Window from January 8 through January 31, 2025.
SB10 Letter - English | Spanish
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Georgia Special Needs Student Scholarship Program for Section 504 |
Dear Parents:
This notification is to inform you of the Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS) Program for school choice available for students attending Georgia public schools and having a Section 504 plan.
Option 1: Private School Choice
To qualify for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS) Program for the school year, a student must meet all three requirements listed below:
Requirement 1: The parent currently resides within Georgia and has been a Georgia resident for at least one calendar year. However, the one-year requirement shall not apply if the student's parent is an active duty military service member stationed in Georgia within the previous year.
Requirement 2: A student was enrolled and reported as attending a Georgia public school by a district(s) in the student count for October or March during the previous school year. However, the student may meet requirement two (2) if any of the criteria apply below.
- The student's parent is an active duty military service member stationed in Georgia within the previous year.
- The student has been adopted or placed in permanent guardianship from foster care according to an order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction within the previous year.
- The student previously qualified for a scholarship as provided by state law.
Requirement 3: The student had a 504 plan in effect during the previous school year relating to one or more of these conditions:
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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Attention deficit disorder (ADD) |
Autism spectrum disorder |
Bipolar disorder |
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Cancer |
Cerebral palsy |
Cystic fibrosis |
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Deafness |
Down syndrome |
Drug or alcohol abuse |
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Dual sensory impairment |
Dyslexia |
Emotional or behavioral disorder |
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Epilepsy |
Hearing impairment |
Intellectual disability |
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Muscular dystrophy |
Specific learning disability |
Spina bifida |
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Traumatic brain injury |
Visual Impairment |
Any rare disease identified by the National Institutes of Health's Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center lists rare disease disorders. |
Option 2- Public School Choice
Eligible students may request a transfer to another public school within their district of residence (see additional School Choice information specific to Henry County Schools released in January each year), another public school district outside of Henry County, or one of the state schools for the deaf and/or blind operated by the State Board of Education.
You may visit the Georgia Department of Education website for additional information regarding the Special Needs Scholarship Program, including the Scholarship Calculator, a list of authorized private schools, and Section 504 Plan Qualification https://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/Policy/Pages/Special-Needs-Scholarship-Program.aspx.
Application window
The application window will be announced yearly in December and January and will reflect the School Choice Window from January 8 through January 31, 2025.
If you have further questions, you may contact the Director of Psychological Services, Wanda Williams, at (770) 957-3945.